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River Warden
"And what’s this? Brandy, eh? Produce of Bretonnia. Just a single bottle. You’ve never seen it before in your life? I’d better get it out the way, then, before someone trips on it. And, see you same time next week." Basic (WC) A clarion call across the murky waters of the Reik can only mean one thing: Riverwardens. These strong-backed lawmen are commonly perceived by river goers as little better than thugs, as they must harass even innocent vessels when checking for smuggled goods and have learned that politeness and trust do not pay off. The over-worked patrols, which toil through month-long shifts at a time, are responsible for waters too large to be effectively controlled. They spend most of their time concentrating on the worst law-breakers, including pirates, murderers, and barge thieves, and allow most petty misdemeanours to slip by with spot-fines. They are a common sight on the rivers, and their patrols extend as far as Kislev. Note: If you are rolling randomly for your Starting Career, you can substitute Riverwarden for Roadwarden with your GM’s approval. Main Profile Secondary Profile Skills: Common Knowledge (The Empire or Kislev), Gossip or Speak Language (Kislevite), Navigation, Outdoor Survival or Sail, Perception, Row, Search, Secret Signs (Scout) Talents: Orientation or Very Strong, Specialist Weapon (Gunpowder) Trappings: Pistol with Powder and Ammunition for 10 Shots, Light Armour (Leather Jack), Row Boat, Shield, Uniform, 10 Yards of Rope Career Entries Boatman, Ferryman, Marine, Roadwarden Career Exits Boatman, Marine, Roadwarden, Seaman, Sergeant, Smuggler, Toll Keeper, Verenean Investigator, Wrecker Rocking the Boat The best riverwardens need to use a bit of subtlety and common sense. They could go searching every nook of every vessel that comes down the river, and they’d be sure to find a lot of good stuff. And they’d be sure to end up with no friends, if they were lucky, and a knife in the back if they were not. A good riverwarden needs to be a friend to the boatmen, not their enemy. He needs to get to know them and learn their ways. It’s best for both parties. There’s plenty of opportunity to catch foreign smugglers and ne’er do wells, the sorts that don’t understand folk on this stretch of the river. The honest local boatman, might smuggle a bit, he’s got to, really, but nothing too much, nothing that will inconvenience the duke, or bring the Empire down. And if you know where to look, or more to the point, where not to look, a good riverwarden will find plenty to keep him busy: the odd bottle of brandy, or wheel of cheese, or leg of ham, that needs to be confiscated, without rocking the boat, so to speak. The Battle of Bechbad The town of Bechbad on the Talabec, a couple of days downriver from Talabheim, had always been quite quiet. The riverwardens there had little to do but check the regular flow of cargo ships making their way up and down the great river. Until, the pirates came. In a couple of weeks, five cargoes were lost and many honest boatmen. The Bechbad riverwardens could do little; and caught no sight of he pirates, who had any number of sheltered tributaries and secluded inlets to hide in. Then the captain of the riverwardens commandeered a cargo boat. He grabbed the next suitable ship, and demanded volunteers from the townsfolk and crews that were resting in Bechbad. And so filled with vigilantes and riverwardens, the boat made its way up the river. They were soon set upon by the pirates and battle was joined. The struggle saw the pirate ship burn and sink and the commandeered vessel was badly damaged. But eventually, all the pirates lay dead or captured. And thanks to the brave men of the Bechbad riverwardens that stretch of river has not seen another pirate to this very day.